Ports Policy
Dail Éireann — 2025-12-11
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Jerry Buttimer (FG), Cork South-Central

I thank Deputy Cullinane again. I reiterate that Government remains committed to supporting our commercial State ports, including the Port of Waterford, in their plans to build enabling infrastructure for ORE. It is my understanding that the Department of Transport has established the ORE ports co-ordination group to facilitate discussion with both the commercial State ports and other ports and updates in the ORE sector. This group provides a forum for the Department to provide both Government and industry with presentations on the sectors and on the ports and allows the ports to raise any issues that may be of interest or concern to them that they may be encountering in their projects in their ports. This is in addition to the Department's role as a key member of the offshore wind delivery task force, which is chaired by the Minister for Transport and the recently established ORE Government clearing house hub, which is chaired by an Taoiseach. The Department is actively engaged with industry stakeholders with a view to maximising all potential financing options for ports, which includes financing partners such as the European Investment Bank, the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, and the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland.
Regarding our national ports policy, it is important to recognise that the draft is due for a second phase of public consultation very soon. I, as Minister of State, and all of my colleagues will welcome submissions from all interested parties on the development of a national ports policy during a second phase of the consultation. The point we are making is that the proposed developments at the Port of Waterford will build upon developments, for example, in the Port of Cork, link with the proposed developments in Rosslare Europort, and would provide us as a country with significant port infrastructure to allow us to meet our ambitious ORE targets. I assure the Deputy that we will be committed to this and Government will work with all the different interests. I thank him for raising the matter because it is a very important point.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-12-11/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:54:48+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-11